Things Left Unsaid
by ElodieKumari94
Summary: When Levy McGarden is critically injured by a group of rogue mages, Gajeel Redfox is left feeling uncertain and scared. He had never known such emotions before. What if she didn't wake up? There was so much he wanted to tell her someday… and now he might never get the chance. Short GajeelxLevy fanfic based on the song "Things Left Unsaid" by Disciple.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hey, guys! Thanks for clicking on my story! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I liked writing it. GaLe is one of my all-time favorite shippings ever, so I was really excited when I got the idea for this fanfic. Here's a quick disclaimer just to cover my tracks: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL, ITS CHARACTERS, OR THE SONG "THINGS LEFT UNSAID" BY DISCIPLE. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS, AND ALL I CLAIM RIGHTS TO IS THE STORY IDEA. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME. This is going to be a short story, just three or four chapters, and this is only my second Fairy Tail fanfic, so reviews are, as always, strongly encouraged! Constructive criticism is okay, but please be nice about it. No flames please, I'm not a Fire Dragon Slayer like Natsu. Enjoy!

* * *

**Things Left Unsaid**

"There's been an accident."

Gajeel Redfox looked over at Lucy Heartfilia in annoyance. The Dragon Slayer wasn't sure why Lucy had gone through the trouble of finding him to tell him something so trivial, and the fact that she had somehow found him sulking in the back ally irked him even more.

"So?" he snapped, biting another chunk off of the piece of scrap metal he held in his hand.

"_So,_ it's Levy!" Lucy elaborated, her eyes wide with fear and her lips trembling. "Team Shadow Gear was leaving on a mission when they were attacked by some rogue mages just outside of town!"

Gajeel abruptly stopped chewing as something like ice settled in his veins. Swallowing hard, he replied in a quiet, dangerous voice, "That doesn't sound like an 'accident' to me."

"Well I suppose not, but that's not the point! They all tried to fight back, but one of their attacker's hit Levy with some spell and injured her really bad. Jet and Droy managed to escape and bring her back to the guild, but…" Lucy trailed off, unable to continue. Gajeel's fist suddenly tightened, and the piece of iron in his hand was crushed like a tin can in a trash compactor.

"Where are the attackers now?" he growled.

"We don't know. Natsu left with Jet and Droy to hunt them down about half an hour ago, and we haven't seen them since."

_Jet and Droy,_ Gajeel thought irritably as he ground his teeth and threw his ruined snack against the brick wall opposite from the one he was currently leaning on. _Those two are completely useless when it comes to Levy. And of course Salamander would go charging out after someone hurt a fellow guild member…_

"Why are you telling me this?" Gajeel grumbled, standing up and turning his back on the celestial mage.

Lucy blinked in surprise. "I… well, because it's _Levy_," she replied. 'I just thought that since you cared about her so much-"

Gajeel whirled around, his red eyes flashing dangerously. "What makes you think I care about _her_?"

Rather than backing down from the scary Iron Dragon Slayer as most people did, Lucy folded her arms and glared right back at him. "Well, you're always so keen on protecting her, so I thought there must be _some _kind of goodness in you. If I was wrong, then I apologize for wasting your time. I'll let you get back to your scrap metal," she finished spitefully before turning and running out of the ally.

Gajeel stared after her in shock and anger. Very few people were ever brave enough to snap at him like that. He knew the celestial mage had a sharp tongue and a fiery spirit, but he had never seen either of them channeled at him like that. Maybe he deserved it, though. After all, one of her best friends was seriously hurt, and Gajeel had been tactless enough to shout at her that he didn't care.

But he _didn't _care. Why should he care what happened to the shrimpy little bookworm anyway? Levy McGarden meant _nothing _to Gajeel. Absolutely _nothing_.

But if that was true, then why did he still feel ice racing through his veins, somehow simultaneously freezing and boiling his blood? Half of him was gripped in gut-wrenching worry that begged him to run back to the guild, and the other half was so full of raw rage he thought it would kill him if he didn't get revenge before Natsu did. And he hated to admit it, but Lucy's words had really hit a nerve. _"Well, you're always so keen on protecting her, so I thought there must be some kind of goodness in you."_

"Lily," Gajeel growled, speaking to his black cat, who had been sitting silently on top of a nearby dumpster the entire time. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Pantherlily asked as he stood, tossing aside the half-eaten steak Mirajane had cooked for him earlier that day.

"We're going to find these rogue mages who attacked Levy. I'm not letting Salamander get his fiery little claws on him until they've gone through _me_."


	2. Chapter 2

When Lucy returned to the guild infirmary later that day, she was surprised to see Gajeel sitting in her chair by Levy's bedside, flipping through the pages of a book. The celestial spirit mage had come back to the infirmary right after her fight with Gajeel in the ally, and she had remained there until just a few minutes ago, when she left to use the bathroom. She honestly hadn't expected anyone, least of all Gajeel, to come visit the script mage until Natsu and the rest of Shadow Gear had returned. Even more alarming was the fact that Gajeel was sporting some new injuries of his own, though there was nothing more serious than a few bad bruises and cuts.

"_Gajeel?!" _

"What's up, cheerleader?" Gajeel grumbled without looking up from his book.

"Stop calling me that! What are you doing here? And what's with all those injuries?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Gajeel replied testily. "And what injuries?"

"Are you telling me those bandages and bruises are a fashion statement?"

"It's nothing to worry about, Blondie. Just got in a bit of a tumble earlier is all."

Lucy's chocolate brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Wait a minute… who did you-"

"_GAJEEEEEEEL!"_

Levy's two visitors turned as the door to the infirmary burst open and Natsu stormed in, fire on his breath and fury written across his face. Jet and Droy followed close behind him, both still banged up from the earlier attack, but both looking just as irritated as Natsu.

"Gajeel!" Natsu yelled as he stomped over to Levy's bed, glaring at his fellow Dragon Slayer. "We found the jerks who attacked Levy lyin' beat up in an ally with your stink all over them! You could've left some fight in 'em for me, ya know!"

"Natsu, keep your voice down!" Lucy scolded. "You're in a hospital, for Mavis's sake!"

"What were you going after those guys for anyway?" Jet demanded of Gajeel, narrowing his eyes mistrustfully. "Droy and I are Levy's teammates. It's _our _job to protect her, _not_ yours!"

Gajeel's piercing red eyes seemed to shoot poisoned daggers as Jet as the Iron Dragon Slayer shut his book with a snap and set it on Levy's bedside table. "Oh, is that why we're all standing in here now?" he asked viciously. "Because you and your fat friend there are such great '_protectors'?_"

"Why, you-" Droy began as he, Jet, and Natsu all took a threatening step toward Gajeel, who was immediately on his feet, a low growl ripping through his teeth.

"Oh, no you don't!" Lucy exclaimed, throwing herself between the four mages with her hands spread out. "You guys are _not _going to start a fight in the infirmary! You three," she added, glaring at Natsu, Droy, and Jet, "need to leave. _Now_."

"Why are _we_ the ones getting kicked out?!" Jet yelled furiously. "_We're_ Levy's _real_ friends! Why should _he_ be the one to stay?"

Gajeel snarled again. All that stood in the way of him pulverizing Jet and Droy were Levy's bed and Lucy, who was still barring Shadow Gear and Natsu from coming closer.

"That's enough!" Lucy snapped. "You two need to go see Wendy about your injuries. And Natsu, you just need to leave before you set the place on fire. Now get out of here before I summon Taurus to_ throw_ you out!"

Gajeel's jaw dropped as the other three male mages glared at Lucy in shock and anger. Lucy's threat was very serious; he could hear it in her voice. Why was she defending _him?_

Gajeel watched amazement as Natsu, Droy, and Jet all turned and slumped out of the infirmary, shutting to door behind them on their way out. "What did you do that for?" he asked incredulously as Lucy turned to him.

"You're welcome," she replied with a raise of an eyebrow as she grabbed a chair and sat across from the Dragon Slayer. Gajeel sat back down in his own seat slowly, never once allowing his eyes, now full of suspicion, to leave the celestial spirit mage. But Lucy didn't seem to notice; she was gazing solemnly at Levy, who was still completely out. Gajeel looked down at the injured script mage and felt his own heart give a loud, metallic pang. People normally appeared quite peaceful in slumber, but Levy just looked pale and empty, all the muscles in her face slack and her body as lifeless as a rag doll. If it weren't for the shallow rise and fall of her chest and the sound of her alarmingly weak heartbeat, Gajeel would have thought she was dead. He had never seen anyone look so small and frail and lifeless, and the bandages wrapped in various places around her body didn't help much, nor did the tubes and wires snaking from beneath her sheets up to the IV pole and heart monitor set up next to Lucy. Gajeel could hear the steady drip of fluid flowing into her veins and the droning beep that kept time with her heart. The Dragon Slayer had seen more violence and gore and horror than many people saw in even the worst horror movies, but the sight before him chilled him to the bone and filled him with insatiable dread.

"We're not sure what kind of magic did this to her," Lucy said sadly, pulling the white bed sheets up to Levy's chin and smoothing them gently.

"It's some kind of dark magic, obviously," muttered Gajeel. "What about that blue-haired Dragon Slayer? Couldn't she do something to help Levy?"

"Wendy did everything she could. She tried every form of healing she knew and then some. She worked so hard she nearly passed out, and Carla forced her to stop. She said she would come back and try some more when her magic energy was replenished." Lucy clasped her hands in her lap, her eyes swimming with tears. "I honestly think Wendy's efforts are the only reason Levy is still alive… but I don't know if it'll be enough."

Gajeel reached out toward Levy's face. Lucy's heart jumped and her hands twitched toward her keys, but all the Dragon Slayer did was brush some of Levy's periwinkle-blue hair away from her eyes, being careful not to touch the bandages wrapped around her forehead. His fingers lingered on her cheek for a second longer than necessary, and then he pulled his hand back, clasping it with the other and hanging his head miserably. Lucy watched the gesture in barely concealed wonder; she had never seen Gajeel Redfox treat anyone so gently, nor had he ever seen him with such heart-felt sadness in his eyes. It was actually a bit ironic, all things considered…

"This is the same bed," Lucy murmured, still watching Gajeel. "This is the exact same bed we put Levy in after you attacked her."

Gajeel's eyes suddenly tightened, his fists clenching as he watched Levy sleep. Lucy continued, "It's ironic, actually. Last time she was in this bed was because of you, and the entire guild declared war on Phantom Lord because of it. Now she's back, but this time _you_ were the one to go out and beat up the people who attacked her."

The irony Lucy pointed out had not been lost on the Dragon Slayer. The same thought had occurred to him as he and Pantherlily were searching for the dark mages who had attacked Levy. And now Lucy Heartfilia, a girl he had once captured and beaten just as relentlessly for the fun of it, was sitting here talking to him like… well, _almost _like a friend. As if Gajeel deserved to have any friends in this guild. After everything he'd done, he knew no one in Fairy Tail would ever accept him as one of their own, no matter how long he stayed here. He didn't think he would ever be relieved of the regret that constantly held him captive, nor would he be able to let go of the feeling of eternal indebtedness he had toward the wizards of Fairy Tail, and Levy especially.

"Is that why you're still here?" Gajeel growled, his eyes flickering up to glower at the celestial spirit mage. "Because you don't trust me being alone with her?"

"No, Gajeel," Lucy replied. "I'm here for the same reason you are."

"But you kicked those other three out."

"They were going to cause trouble. I don't think either of us want that for Levy, do we?"

"What do you know about what I want?" Gajeel snapped, looking back down at Levy's still face.

"Not much, I'll admit. That does bring me to something I've been wanting to ask you, though."

She waited until Gajeel had looked back up at her before continuing. "Levy told me about how you saved her from Laxus's lightning your first day here. And how you protected her on Tenrou Island."

Gajeel raised one of his pierced eyebrows at her. "Was there a question somewhere in those observations?"

"My question, Gajeel," Lucy answered, "is why are you so intent on protecting Levy? Is it because of what you did to her and Fairy Tail, or is it something deeper than that?"

The question surprised the Dragon Slayer. He had actually asked himself the same exact thing multiple times, and he still had no clue what the answer was. He had been acting on pure instinct the time he saved Levy from Laxus's bolt of lightning. That was something Dragon Slayers always did: reacted on instinct. When he thought back on it after the fact, he had decided he had done that for the same reason he had let Jet, Droy, and Laxus push him around that first day: to make up for/pay for the damage he had done to the Fairy Tail guild and its mages. He told himself the same thing months later, when he declared himself Levy's partner for the S-Class exam, adding on his hope fight Titania or Salamander during the test. He remembered clearly how upset Levy had been when he stated this wish second trial, and the nerves in his face remembered even more clearly the feeling of her purse smacking him across the face. She had run away from him. He had gone after her and saved her from Yomazu and Kawazu of Grimoire Heart. He had told her to never leave his side. Why? Gajeel had drilled the automatic answer into his head: _I did it to make up for attacking her and Fairy Tail. That's the only reason. I'm just trying to pay my debt. _But the more time Gajeel found himself spending with Levy, the less he found himself thinking of his debt. He hadn't even thought of it once when he went after the dark mages today. What had driven him today was pure rage that someone had _dared _to lay a hand on her. With that in mind, Gajeel didn't think even he could kid himself that he was only concerned about his debt, and it was clear Lucy had been on to him for quite some time now. The feisty blonde did read too many romance novels for her own good, after all…

_Who said anything about romance?!_ Gajeel's mind screamed. Where on Earthland had he come up with such a ridiculous idea? He was Gajeel freakin' Redfox, for Mavis's sake! He was the pupil and son of the Metalicana the Iron Dragon, an Iron Dragon Slayer of rare skill with a heart and soul as cold and hard as his element. There was nothing written in his make-up about… _sentimental feelings_, let alone anything even remotely _romantic_. Such feelings were a waste of energy and time. If Metalicana had taught him anything, it was that only the strongest survive in this life. Survival of the fittest was his motto. You only needed to care about yourself, and if the others couldn't keep up they were left in the dust.

Gajeel seemed to be doing a pretty poor job of following his dragon's teachings as of late.

"Don't read more into this than what's there, Blondie," Gajeel finally growled. "I'm not some character in one of your books for you to analyze."

"Oh, come one, it was just a question," Lucy said with a small smile, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. "You don't mean to tell me all there is to you is the spiky hair, the iron piercings, and the bad attitude? There's always more to people than their appearance. Levy seems to think you're a good, trustworthy person beneath all that metal, and Levy is usually right about that sort of thing."

Gajeel had no reply to that. As he looked away from the celestial mage, back down at Levy's sleeping form, he inwardly cursed himself. Had he really become so soft and weak that even a cheerleader like Lucy could see through the armor he had built around himself? He was losing his touch.

"So are you going to answer my question?" Lucy persisted. _Mavis, she's nosy!_ Gajeel thought with annoyance.

"I would if I could," Gajeel sighed, hoping a truthful answer would be enough to shut her up. "I honestly don't know the answer myself. I guess part of the reason is I wanna make up for what I did to her and her friends, though I know I can never fully repay that debt."

"What's the other part?"

Gajeel clammed up at that one. Lucy decided to back off, feeling surprised and slightly impressed that the Dragon Slayer had said as much as he did. This was the first time she had ever seen Gajeel show any kind of remorse. There appeared to be a lot more to Gajeel Redfox than she or anyone else in the guild had previously thought about.

Lucy decided to change the subject, feeling she had already pushed the Dragon Slayer's patience too close to the edge. "What's that book you've got there, anyway?" she asked, nodding at the book Gajeel had been flipping through earlier, which was still sitting on Levy's bedside table. "I remember seeing Levy reading it the other day."

Gajeel picked up the book, gazing at its cover for a long moment. As he did, he thought back to the last time he had seen Levy, a few days before this whole mess had happened…

* * *

"Here ya go," _Gajeel declared as he walked past Levy's chair, plopping the leather-bound book with a loud "thunk" on the table in front of her._

"What the- what's this?" _Levy asked with surprise and interest, looking around at the Iron Dragon Slayer. She was sitting in Magnolia's public library studying some new spells. Gajeel had moved over to a bookshelf a few yards away, his red eyes scanning the books with an air of indifference._

"What does it look like it is?" _Gajeel sniffed as his index finger travelled across the spines of the books on a shelf just above his head._ "It's a book."

"But what's it about? And where did you get it?" _Levy asked, opening the book and shoving a long strange of hair behind her ear as she peered at the pages through her red-rimmed reading glasses._

"On my last job," _Gajeel replied._ "The client had it sitting out while he was paying me the reward. He said he didn't want it anymore, so I took it. I think it's about some ancient magic techniques or something like that."

_Gajeel could hear the gentle swish of her ponytail as she turned her head to gaze at him in obvious surprise. _"Why were you so interested in it?"

"I wasn't. I just thought you would be."

"You mean… you got it for _me?_"

_Gajeel merely grunted, focusing on the books in front of him, although he wasn't really reading titles or looking for anything in particular. Levy stared in shock at the iron-studded Dragon Slayer for several seconds, then smiled brightly and pulled out the chair next to her._

"Well, why don't you sit down and read it with me?"

_It was Gajeel's turn to look around in surprise._ "What? You mean the book?"

"Yeah, why not?" _Levy asked cheerfully._ "Just because you're a big, tough Dragon Slayer doesn't mean you can't be interested in books. You must have found _something _interesting about it for it to have caught your attention."

Yeah. It looked like it would have caught _your_ attention_,_ _Gajeel thought to himself, though he would never – _ever_ – say such a thing out loud._

"Besides," _Levy continued,_ "if it's about ancient magic, there might be something about Dragon Slayers in here! Don't you wanna find out?"

_Not sure what else to do with Levy watching him expectantly, Gajeel walked over to the chair she had pulled out for him and sat down in it. With another wide smile, Levy scooted her chair even closer to his and pulled the book toward her so it lay open on the table between the two mages. Levy started with the first chapter and began to quietly read out loud, and as Gajeel listened, he found himself becoming intrigued despite himself. He leaned closer and closer to the script mage as his interest grew, and he eventually draped his arm over the back of Levy's chair as he read over her shoulder. Gajeel's heart suddenly started doing jumping jacks in his chest. He glanced up once at the script mage, watching as her eyebrows drew together and formed a hard line as she concentrated on the book. Her hazel eyes were flickering hungrily across the page with amazing speed, her lips were drawn up in a smile as she carefully forming each word she read, and each time a lock of her periwinkle blue hair fell in her face she pushed it behind her ear with her slender fingers. Her voice painted images of magic circles and ancient wizards in his head as she read, occasionally adding in an exclamation like, _"Fascinating!"_ or _"Incredible!"_ Gajeel's heart was now sprinting a marathon. He suddenly realized that he was no longer actually paying attention to what she was reading. Mentally slapping himself, Gajeel tore his eyes away from her and focused again on the book._

* * *

"It's just some book I brought back from a job a while back," Gajeel grumbled as his mind returned to the present. "I thought Levy would like it."

"You brought her a book?" Lucy exclaimed in amazement. "Oh, Gajeel! That was really sweet and considerate of you!"

Gajeel grunted just as he had when Levy had asked him the same thing. He looked back up at the script mage's face, remembering how happy and excited she had been that day. They had wound up pouring over the book for two hours, Levy reading and Gajeel asking an occasional question that would lead to some discussion about one thing or another. To his immense surprise, Gajeel had really enjoyed those two hours with Levy. He never really thought much of books or learning – actually, he didn't think much of anything but fighting and iron – and seeing Levy getting so excited about him had given him a sense of contentment and intrigue.

Levy's heart monitor droned through the silence that settled between her two visitors. Gajeel wished it would stop. With his heightened Dragon senses, he could already hear how weak and irregular Levy's pulse had become. He didn't want to see that squiggly red line or hear that obnoxious beep to keep blaring what he already knew it into his head. As Gajeel considered what would happen if that dreadful beeping noise stopped, a sudden, inexplicable panic flooded through his system. What if her heartbeat stopped with it? What if she didn't wake up? What if that day in the library was the last day Gajeel would ever talk to her, the last day she would read to him, the last day he would see her bright hazel eyes and her innocent smile? The very thought made the Dragon Slayer feel as if a hole had been abruptly drilled through his chest. He realized he had never actually apologized for attacking her that day so long ago. There was so much he wanted to tell her someday… and now he might never get the chance.

Gajeel became aware of Lucy watching him with a curious frown. Ah, crap, he thought. Had his panic shown on his face? Before Lucy could start asking more questions, he held Levy's book out to her. "You, um, wanna look through this?" he asked awkwardly. "I don't know if you're interested in this kind of thing, but…"

"Oh!" Lucy replied, surprised at the gesture. She was curious about the expression that had just crossed Gajeel's features, but she decided to stem her questions for a moment as she reached out for the book. "Sure, thanks. It'd be nice to have something to read until Levy wakes up."

_If she wakes up,_ Gajeel thought with that same pang of fear as Lucy pulled her knees up and rested the book in her lap, opening the cover and starting to read it. Fear: an emotion Gajeel was quite unaccustomed to. First he was thinking about romance, now he was practically shaking with inexpressible fear. What the devil had Levy done to him?

_Levy,_ he called to her in his mind, gazing at the script mage's sleeping face as though he could wake her up just by staring at her. _You _have_ to wake up. You can't quit on us now. Darn it to Edolas, Levy, you better wake up!_


	3. Chapter 3

Sunset came and went, and Lucy and Gajeel were still sitting at Levy's bedside. They had hardly spoken a word to one another since their earlier conversation. Not that Lucy hadn't tried, of course; Gajeel just wasn't up to talking anymore. The only other visitors had been Wendy, who came earlier that evening ready to perform another healing session, along with Carla, Pantherlily, Jet, and Droy. Wendy worked on healing Levy for nearly two hours, and she ended up using her magic energy to such an extent that she passed out for a few minutes. When she came to Carla made Jet carry Wendy back downstairs. Jet and Droy didn't want to linger with Gajeel in the room, so they left without saying a word to the Dragon Slayer or Lucy. Pantherlily stayed with Gajeel for a while, but as night came he left to get some sleep. Mirajane had also come to bring them some food and check on Levy, but she had not stayed long.

Lucy had finished reading Levy's book and was now writing furiously in some notebook she had picked up from her apartment, only pausing every now and then to glance over at Levy anxiously. Gajeel had heard a little bit about the novel Lucy was working on, but wasn't really interested. He supposed she could be a pretty decent author, as long as she wasn't trying to write some love story between him and Levy…

_There you go again,_ Gajeel hissed at himself. _Stop thinking like that!_

With an irritated sigh, Gajeel pulled a black portable music player out of his pocket, shoved the headphones into his ears, and turned it on, putting the music on "shuffle" and turning up the volume. Maybe some good old rock and metal music would drown out the worries that were turning his head in circles. The first song that played wasn't as loud and angry as he wanted at that point, but just as he was about to press the "skip" button, he froze with a small gasp, his thumb hovering over the device as his eyes widened.

Hearing his sharp intake of breath, Lucy looked up at Gajeel and frowned at the look on his face. "What's wrong, Gajeel?" she asked. "You okay?"

Gajeel didn't respond. He seemed unable to hear Lucy over the music currently ringing in his ears. Lucy set down her notebook and pencil and sat forward, calling to Gajeel again.

"What are you listening to?" she asked anxiously. "Is something wrong? Gajeel, you're starting to freak me out!"

Gajeel still didn't respond to the celestial mage. His lips were parted in shock and his face was full of a sudden comprehension, as if he was having some kind of epiphany. He began murmuring quietly to himself, and Lucy had to lean forward to catch what he was saying – or rather, what he was _singing._

"_If you fly away tonight,  
__I wanna tell you that I love you.  
__I hope that you can hear me…"_

_"What?!"_ Lucy squeaked in shock, unsure she actually heard what her ears were telling her she had. Gajeel suddenly looked down at Levy, and before Lucy could comprehend what was happening, the Dragon Slayer ripped out his headphones and slid out of his chair, kneeling on the floor next to Levy's bed. He grabbed her hand from under her blankets and gripped it between both of his, squeezing tightly as his red eyes focused intently on Levy's face. Lucy got to her feet and watched Gajeel anxiously, wondering what on Earthland had possessed the Dragon Slayer's mind.

Suddenly, Gajeel started singing again, beginning with the first verse of the song he had just been listening to.

"_It's just a matter of time, a few days ago,  
__I saw you, you were fine.  
__Remembering what you said about the book we read,  
__The one I got you, the beginning of the end.  
__Oh, how we talked for hours upon end.  
__What I would give just to do it again.  
__You're lying there in this hospital bed.  
__Won't you open your eyes, and let's talk once again?"_

Lucy's jaw hit the floor. Was Gajeel Redfox actually serenading Levy McGarden in her sleep? This situation would have been positively comical if it hadn't been so powerfully tragic. What Lucy was hearing wasn't the same thing Gajeel occasionally played in the guild hall, the ear-numbing music that often made the other guild members throw things at him. Gajeel's voice was now smooth and honest, with a hint of urgency and desperation as he sang in Levy's ear a message that was so powerful, it alone would have brought tears to Lucy's eyes.

"_If you fly away tonight,  
__I wanna tell you that I love you.  
__I hope that you can hear me.  
__I hope that you can feel me.  
__If you fly away tonight,  
__I wanna tell you that I'm sorry  
__That I never told you  
__When we were face to face."_

Lucy gasped again, staggering back and clapping her hands over her mouth. _Levy was stirring._ She was actually moving under the blankets, her brows furrowing and her legs kicking ever so slightly. Gajeel's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening to the size of hubcaps as his muscles turned to lead. He could hear her heartbeat growing stronger as the heart monitor spiked up, the beeping noise quickening in time with her pulse. Levy let out the quietest moan, though her eyes remained shut. Her head turned toward Gajeel, and he swore – Holy Zeref, he swore to Mavis that he felt Levy's hand move within his, her fingers gripping his for a brief second. Then she was still.

Gajeel raised his head to Lucy, who was staring back at him with wide eyes. "It's working," she whispered, lowering her hands shakily. "Gajeel, whatever you did… it was _working!"_

The Dragon Slayer could feel his heart bounding in his chest as he looked down at the sleeping script mage. He honestly had not thought that singing to Levy would really do anything. His intentions had been to sing to her and hope that the words would sink into her subconsciousness as she slept. But she had actually come close to waking up. She had come so, so close…

"Keep going," Lucy urged, grabbing her chair and sitting close to Levy's bed. "What are you waiting for, Gajeel? Keep singing!"

Gajeel looked back up at Lucy, and the celestial spirit mage swore she had never seen anyone look so scared and excited in her life. He quickly returned his attention to the script mage, gripping her hand even tighter as he thought back to the song, playing the lyrics through his head until he got to where he had left off.

"_Well I've been here all night, and I'm watching you  
Breathe in and breathe out.  
Is it really you or just a machine  
That's giving you life? And it's making it seem  
__That there could be hope, I can say it to your face,  
__If it weren't for you that there would be no grace,  
__That's covered my life.  
__You took the time  
__To speak into my heart and my mind words of life._

"_If you fly away tonight,  
__I wanna tell you that I love you.  
__I hope that you can hear me.  
__I hope that you can feel me.  
__If you fly away tonight,  
__I wanna tell you that I'm sorry  
__That I never told you  
__When we were face to face."_

Levy's heart stopped.

Gajeel heard its last beat just before the beeping of the heart monitor turned into one long, steady, high-pitched drone. Her last breath escaped her lips. Gajeel could already feel her skin turning cold.

"No!" Lucy cried, grabbing Levy's arm and shaking it as tears poured down her cheeks. "No, Levy, no! You were so close! Please come back, Levy, _please!"_

Gajeel dropped Levy's limp hand and stood. He ripped back Levy's sheets and, with one hand on top of the other, pressed the heel of his hand over her sternum and began doing compressions, minding his strength not to break her little body in half. "Will you unplug that blasted moniter?" Gajeel growled at Lucy. "I can't hear her heart beat over that racket!"

Lucy immediately did as she was asked, reaching around the machine and pulling out the plug, cutting off the noise. "You know how to do CPR?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"What does it look like, Blondie?" snapped Gajeel. "Now please shut up, I'm trying to count!"

Gajeel did thirty compressions and paused for a second, listening intently. Nothing.

"No, no, no, no, _no!"_ he growled. "Darn it, Levy, I wasn't finished yet! You can't leave until I've told you what I need to!"

Gajeel bent over Levy and held his ear over her mouth. She wasn't breathing. Steeling himself, Gajeel tipped her head back, pinched her nose, and pressed his mouth to hers, breathing two breaths into her lungs, pausing after each one to check that her chest was rising with each breath. Gajeel straightened and did another set of compressions. She wasn't going to die. There was no way Gajeel was going to let her die on him now. She was going to live if he had to make her heart beat for the rest of her life!

After the second set of compressions, Gajeel held his ear over her chest and listened hard. Her heart still wasn't beating. Lucy was sobbing, her body curled up in her chair as tears leaked from between her fingers. Gajeel could feel the drill boring through his chest, choking the air from his lungs as it tore him apart from the inside out. He couldn't save her. But there had to be a way! There had to be something they could still do.

"Wendy," he said harshly. "I'm going to go get Wendy."

"Gajeel, I-I don't think she can-" Lucy began, but Gajeel had already run around the bed and was sprinting to the door of the infirmary. He shoved the door open with a bang, not caring that people in the guild were probably sleeping, and staggered out into the hall. His vision was swimming. He was struggling to stay on his feet. The stairwell seemed to be getting farther and farther away with every step he took. It was like something from a nightmare. The drill was digging deeper and deeper into his chest, making every move and every breath agonizing. He had never felt so panicked, so helpless, so out of control in his life.

"WENDY!" he roared.

"Gajeel!" a scared, female voice rang through his mind. Gajeel raised his head and saw a group of people racing down the hall toward him. One of them was Wendy. With her were Laxus, Natsu, Jet, and Droy. Gajeel stopped in his tracks.

"Levy," he gasped, leaning against the wall for support. "She flatlined. Please…"

Without a word, Laxus and Wendy raced past him, Jet and Droy following close behind. Natsu stayed behind, watching Gajeel with wide eyes. He looked like an absolute wreck, locks of his spiky black hair falling in his face, his red eyes wide with panic and pain, a cold sweat covering his skin as his body shook uncontrollably. His breath was coming in short, loud gasps. He felt like he was going to throw up.

"Gajeel…" Natsu muttered, reaching out uncertainly to his fellow Dragon Slayer.

"W-what's Laxus doing here?" Gajeel rasped.

"He's got electricity, remember?" Natsu explained. "Wendy and I were downstairs and heard Levy flatline. Laxus was down in the guild hall with us, and when we he found out what happened he offered to help. If all else fails, he thinks he can restart her heart."

Gajeel collapsed, sliding down the wall to his knees. He punched the wall with a loud snarl, sending a spider web of cracks across the plaster. He had never felt so angry and scared in his life. _What is happening to me?_

"W-what are you still doing here?" Gajeel growled at the Salamander. "Lucy's in there."

"I think you need me more than she does," Natsu replied, crouching down in front of the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Don't insult me," snapped Gajeel. "Just get out of here!" He pushed Natsu roughly. Natsu stumbled back slightly, but kept on his feet, looking barely affected. Gajeel wanted to punch, kick, attack, lash out at everything and anything within his reach, but at the moment he was physically incapable of doing anything other than huddle against the wall and shake like a leaf. And to make matters worse, Salamander was right there to see it all.

"Gajeel, you're not thinking clearly," Natsu said calmly. "If you're going to be of any help to Levy, you have to calm down. Panicking isn't going to do anything."

But Gajeel didn't want to calm down. He didn't want to think clearly. Doing so would mean accepting what had happened. It would mean accepting that Levy was…

"Hope isn't lost, Gajeel," Natsu said, crouching down next to his fellow guild member again and smiling hopefully. "Wendy and Laxus are in there, and they're going to do everything in their power to bring her back. Fairy Tail wizards never give up on a fellow guild member."

Gajeel looked up and saw that Natsu was smiling at him. He was actually _smiling_. The Fire Dragon Slayer and complete and total confidence in his friends' abilities. _Fairy Tail wizards never give up on a fellow guild member…_

"I know that," Gajeel huffed. "I… I'm sorry I attacked your guild. I'm sorry I ever helped Phantom Lord. I'm sorry for kidnapping Lucy and destroying your old guild hall and hurting Levy and Jet and Droy and for attacking you… I'm just so, so sorry for everything."

Natsu stared at the Dragon Slayer in shock. He had never seen Gajeel show any kind of remorse or sorrow, or any other kind of deep emotion. "Is this really the time to be talking about such a thing?" he asked curiously.

"It's something I've been meaning to say for a while," Gajeel answered gruffly. "When Phantom Lord was destroyed, Makarov came and found me. He gave me a place in the guild and offered me a second chance. I accepted the invitation, but I was too stubborn and pig-headed to apologize for everything I had done. I know you and the other people in this guild will never accept me, but… I've never been happier to be a member of such a guild."

Gajeel looked away from Natsu, his red eyes full of sadness and regret. "I just… I had to say it. Before something happened… and I never got the chance again… just like I'll never get the chance to tell Levy…" he couldn't continue. He just couldn't. The drill was still working through his heart, its progress had nearly choked off his ability to speak.

Natsu reached out and gripped Gajeel's shoulder, his expression full of acceptance and sincerity. He waited until Gajeel was looking at him before he said, "We may have our differences, Gajeel, and we may fight and disagree all the time, but to me, you will always be a fellow Fairy Tail wizard first and foremost. You've fought for our guild with just as much loyalty and passion as the rest of us. Sure you screwed up a lot when you were with Phantom Lord, but I don't think about that when I think about Gajeel Redfox. Now all I remember is how you helped me beat Laxus, how you helped save Fairy Tail when we were in Edolas, and how you fought alongside us on Tenrou Island. There may be a few of us who have trouble letting go of grudges, but when it comes down to it, you're a Fairy Tail wizard through and through. And as I said before, Fairy Tail wizards never give up on a fellow guild member."

Gajeel stared up at Natsu in surprise. "Natsu…" he said, calling his fellow Dragon Slayer by his name for the first time.

Natsu smiled again and held out his hand. "So don't you give up on Levy just yet. She's a lot tougher than you give her credit for. And with Laxus and Wedny's help, she can pull through this. But she'll need you on her side."

Gajeel looked from Natsu to the Fire Dragon Slayer's outstretched hand, staring at it for a long time... and then he took it, allowing his fellow guild member to help him to his feet. Looking over the banister, Gajeel could see the empty guild hall spread out before him. He walked over to the rail and leaned over it, his head bowed with humility and grief. His home… this guild was his home now. But would it feel the same without Levy?

He thought back to the song he had been singing to Levy. He never got the chance to finish it. Not caring that Natsu was listening, Gajeel decided to finish the song. Maybe Levy's spirit would be floating around somewhere and would hear his last message.

"_So goodbye for now, and I'll see you again,  
Some way, somehow.  
__When it's my turn to go to the other side  
I'll hold you again and melt at your smile  
Now all I have are the ones that I'm with  
And you taught me not to take for granted  
The time that we have to show that we care  
Speak into their minds and their hearts while they're here  
__And say I love you."_

Something wet hit Gajeel's cheek. Great. Now he was crying. But Gajeel decided he didn't care anymore. Every tear would be a gift to the little script mage who had helped him feel at home in this guild. Her kindness and forgiveness and innocence had been like a ray of sunlight in an underground tunnel. Makarov may have shown him the path to tomorrow, but without Levy's guidance, he would have remained lost in darkness. He owed everything he had to the little shrimp; the least he could do was shed a few tears for her.

He finished the song in a choked voice:

"_If you fly away tonight,  
__I wanna tell you that I love you.  
__I hope that you can hear me.  
__I hope that you can feel me.  
__If you fly away tonight,  
__I wanna tell you that I'm sorry  
__That I never told you  
__When we were face to face."_


	4. Chapter 4

By the time Gajeel had finished the song, his throat was so tight he could barely get the last words out. His knuckles were bone white from clutching the banister as the Dragon Slayer bowed his head in misery, salty tears falling onto the rough wood. He closed his eyes, his body shaking from emotion. He felt as though the drill had cut a hole clean through him, and he wasn't sure anything in the world would be able to close that gap. Natsu stood a ways behind Gajeel, his head bowed respectfully, understanding that his fellow mage didn't want or need any comfort or empathy, but space to cope and grieve on his own.

_I hope you can hear me now, Levy,_ Gajeel thought._ I'm sorry I never said any of this to you when I had the chance. I know I can't make up for the time I've lost… but I hope you can accept my confession even now. I… I care about you, Levy. You saved me from myself without even trying. If I could get a second chance, I would tell you all this myself in a heartbeat. So please, Levy. Please live!_

Silence was all that answered him. But then…

"_Gajeel…"_

"Levy?" Gajeel breathed, opening his eyes and looking hopefully up at the ceiling. He was certain he had heard her voice, though he couldn't locate its source. Holding his breathe, he listened hard to see if he would hear her again, but all he could pick up was a strange, electrical crackling, almost like static.

"Gajeel?" Natsu said in question, taking a hesitant step toward the Iron Dragon Slayer. Gajeel partially turned to him and held up a hand, gesturing for him to be quiet.

"Do you hear that?" he whispered.

"Hear what?" Natsu asked, looking around as he strained his ears to pick up some sort of sound. He heard nothing out of the ordinary. But for Gajeel, the crackling noise was become more and more defined, his skin tingling as if the electricity was flowing through his own body.

"_Gajeel…"_ Levy's voice whispered again, her voice rising above the flow of electricity, a sad plea in her tone. _"Gajeel… GAJEEL!"_

Gajeel gasped as a loud clap of thunder and Levy's final scream crashed in his ears, and his heart seemed to explode like it had been struck by a bolt of lightning. He staggered away from the railing, one hand clutching his chest and his breath coming out in ragged gasps as his back hit the wall. He heard Natsu calling his name, but it was as if his voice was echoing through a fog. Gajeel could feel his heart pounding beneath his hand, but it sounded irregular in his ears, too fast and with too many beats. Then he realized he wasn't hearing just one heartbeat, but two, the one not belonging to him coming from somewhere else in the building...

"_Levy!"_ Natsu gasped. Gajeel looked over and realized that Natsu was sensing something as well. The two Dragon Slayers sprinted back down the hall to the infirmary, practically tripping over one another as they fought to get through the door. When Gajeel finally stumbled into the room, he froze, taking in the scene before him with wide eyes. Lucy was hunched over Levy's bed, her hands clutching the blankets, and though she was still crying, her sobs sounded different than the desperate cries of agony Gajeel had heard before. These were quiet sobs of relief. Wendy was standing near Gajeel's empty chair, her hands hovering over Levy's body, a soft blue glow emanating from the script mage's torso just beneath the Sky Dragon Slayer's palms. Laxus stood next to Wendy, a grim smile on his face, and Jet and Droy stood at the foot of Levy's bed, clutching one another and weeping the same sort of tears as Lucy's. Someone had plugged Levy's monitor back in and it was beeping again, keeping track of Levy's strong, regulated heartbeat.

_She's alive_, Gajeel realized. _She really is alive…_

"What happened?" Natsu demanded, running to the bed and resting a comforting hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Is Levy okay?"

"Laxus did it," Gajeel murmured in shock. "He restarted her heart."

"It wasn't just me," Laxus replied humbly. "Levy is a tougher cookie than most people give her credit for. Even so, it's a miracle this worked. She was completely gone for five minutes."

"D-don't forget Wendy," Lucy said thickly, raising her head to give the littlest Dragon Slayer a watery smile. "She did a good job, too."

Wendy smiled gratefully at Lucy, lifting her hands from Levy's body as the blue glow diminished. "I still can't completely heal her wounds," she said, "but I don't sense that her life is in danger. It won't be long before she wakes up."

Natsu looked back at Gajeel with a bright smile. "Ya see, Gajeel?" he said, pumping his fist enthusiastically. "I told you she'd make it!"

Gajeel couldn't think of anything to say. Every nerve and muscle connected to his brain seemed to have frozen as his mind tried to process what had just happened. Lucy turned to the Dragon Slayer, and Gajeel's eyes shifted to meet hers. _You did it, Gajeel, _her tear-filled eyes and understanding smile seemed to be saying._ You brought her back._

Suddenly, Gajeel sank down to the floor. Laxus, Natsu, and Wendy all gasped in alarm, but Gajeel quickly steadied himself, though he remained on his knees. The Dragon Slayer's breath came out hard and ragged, as if his lungs were being crushed by the waves of relief crashing through his soul. Deep down, Gajeel had known Levy would survive the moment he heard her voice in his mind, but hearing her heart pumping life through her body was like a sweet symphony soothing his own heart. He could feel the hole the drill had made in his chest mending, though he knew full well its mark would never be erased. The Dragon Slayer had never imagined losing someone he never knew he had been so close to would be so incredibly painful, and he had learned a hard lesson from that. But rather than pain, Gajeel felt nothing but relief and gratitude that Levy had a second chance at life… and that he had a second chance to say the words weighing on his heart.

"Gajeel, are you okay?" Wendy asked anxiously. "Are you hurt somewhere?"

"No… No, I'm fine, Wendy," Gajeel replied in a quiet voice. Natsu raised an eyebrow skeptically, but Gajeel sent him a look that clearly said, _If you tell _anyone_ what happened out there, I will kill you in your sleep._

"I think it's time we all got some rest," Lucy declared, standing up and wiping tears from her eyes. "Levy is going to be fine now, so there's no point in us staying here any longer."

"Don't you think someone should be here when she wakes up?" asked Wendy.

"I'll stay with her!" Jet and Droy exclaimed at the same time.

"Hey, I said it first!" Droy yelled at his teammate.

"No you didn't, you fat slob!" Jet snapped back. "I did!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"You so did _not!"_

"I so did _too!"_

Gajeel got to his feet. "I'll stay," he declared in a much stronger voice. Everyone looked over at him in surprise. "I'm used to staying up at night," he explained. "And besides… there are some things I wanted to say to her when she woke up."

Jet and Droy eyed him suspiciously while Natsu, as usual, just looked confused. But Lucy beamed at the Iron Dragon Slayer proudly. "That's a great idea, Gajeel," she agreed, grabbing Jet and Droy and pushing them both toward the door. "The rest of us will be leaving now!"

"Jeez, no need to be so forceful!" the two friends complained loudly, but they weren't about to argue with the feisty celestial wizard. Neither of them forgot to spare mistrustful glares for Gajeel as they left. Wendy followed suit, and then Laxus, but as the lightning mage passed, Gajeel put a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you," the Dragon Slayer murmured quietly. "For saving Levy."

Laxus gave a small smile. "Not at all. I'm glad I could help."

"Hang on!" Natsu was yelling as Lucy dragged him toward the door by his ear. "I'm confused! Why is Gajeel staying? What's going on?!"

"I'll explain later!" Lucy hissed at her teammate. She met Gajeel's eyes just before walking out the door, and the Iron Dragon Slayer gave her a grateful smile. Lucy returned the gesture with a wink, then she and Natsu left, shutting the door behind them.

Gajeel, now alone in the infirmary, walked over to Levy's bed and sat down in the chair Lucy had just vacated. The script mage was still rather pale and clammy, but her face was more peaceful than empty. Gajeel could have sworn there was even the slightest hint of a smile on her lips. The Dragon Slayer himself was smiling as he put his hand over hers and gave it a small squeeze. She was alive. She was going to be okay. Levy was going to live.

Gajeel could tell her everything now.

But would he be able to? It had been so easy to express his feelings when her eyes were closed, but to actually say it to her face was another matter entirely. Had she even heard anything he had said, or sung? Would she remember any of it when she woke up? He knew he was contradicting his earlier wishes, but now that his wish was a possibility, he was remembering just how scary it was, even though he felt like a coward for it.

Gajeel decided he wouldn't worry about that now. When the time was right, he would tell her. Whether that would be when she woke up or some time later, he would know when it came. For now, he decided he would just sit there, listen to her heartbeat and quiet breathing, and bask in the knowledge that she was going to be okay.

* * *

The sun was just starting to rise when Levy began to stir again. Gajeel, who was once again reading, snapped the book shut and turned his full attention to her, placing the book on the floor next to his chair. His hand was still holding hers, and he just barely managed to stop himself from removing it. He stayed silent, watching as her arms and legs shifted beneath the blankets and her head turned on the pillow, her eyes squeezing shut as if she was resisting waking up. After a few seconds that seemed to Gajeel like hours, her face relaxed and her eyelids slowly fluttered open. Her hazel eyes squinted against the light of the infirmary, blinking rapidly as they adjusted to her surroundings. She groaned slightly as she twitched her muscles, getting a feel of her aching body. Already, Gajeel could see the wheels in her mind starting to spin as she tried to remember what was going on.

"What the…" she muttered, gazing toward the window. "Where…"

"It's okay, Levy," Gajeel said quietly. "You're in the infirmary in the guild hall."

Gajeel hadn't wanted to scare her, but she still flinched slightly at the sound of his voice, her head swinging around in surprise as her eyes widened. "Gajeel? What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?" replied Gajeel with a small smile. "I've been waiting for you to wake up. And it took you long enough, too," he added teasingly.

"Wake up?" Levy's gaze suddenly flickered down to her hand, which was still buried beneath Gajeel's, and her face became slightly pink. "When did I…"

She suddenly gasped, sitting up alarmingly fast before crying out in pain, clutching her torso. "Hey, take it easy!" Gajeel soothed, putting his free hand on her shoulder. "You're still pretty badly injured."

"I remember!" Levy squeaked in alarm. "Shadow Gear was going on a job… and we were attacked… Jet and Droy-"

"They're alright," Gajeel promised as he gently pushed her back down onto the bed. "They both went home to get some rest. I decided to stay up with you and make sure you were okay."

"The mages who attacked us…"

"They were taken care of," Gajeel assured her with a smirk.

Gajeel let go of her hand and shoulder, and Levy slowly eased herself up onto her elbows, her eyes never leaving the Dragon Slayer's face. "How… how long was I out?" she asked.

"You've been out since yesterday morning," Gajeel replied. "Nearly twenty-four hours." Gajeel suddenly looked away, something dark and misty entering his red eyes. "We thought you weren't going to make it…"

Levy's eyes widened in surprise. She had never seen Gajeel look so sad and… vulnerable before. She gave him a reassuring smile as she said, "Hey, but I did, didn't I? I'm right here."

"You flatlined," he informed her. "There was no sign of life from you for about five minutes. No heartbeat, no breathing… nothing."

Levy's face paled. She had been hurt that bad? Her heart had stopped? She had been dead for _five minutes?_ "Then… how did I come back?" she whispered.

"It was Laxus," Gajeel answered numbly. "He restarted your heart using electricity. Wendy's been using her healing spells on you as well. I guess there combined powers were enough to bring you back."

But Levy frowned uncertainly. "I… I don't think that was it…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm sure Laxus and Wendy were the ones that got my heart starting again… but I don't think that was what brought _me_ back."

Now Gajeel's heart just about stopped. "What do you think did, then?" he asked in almost a whisper.

"I…" Levy stopped, her gaze turning back to Gajeel. His expression was strange… almost hopeful. Something was stirring in her memory… a voice… _his_ voice… she saw his face, full of sadness and regret and desperation as he said words she knew were important to both of them, but she couldn't remember them exactly…

"I think it was a dream," Levy answered softly, pressing her palm to her forehead as she strained to remember. "And you… you were in it… you were saying something about a book… and flying..."

Gajeel suddenly smiled. Not his usual half-smile-half-smirk, but a true blue smile as bright as the rising sun. It was actually quite attractive.

"What are you smiling about?" Levy asked, blushing furiously. "Don't think just because I had a dream about you that it means anything!"

But Gajeel only chuckled. "Of course not," he said, looking away and closing his eyes momentarily, still smiling to himself.

This response was actually quite alarming to Levy, who was accustomed to his usual angry, defensive shouting. "What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded. "Do you know something I don't?"

"Well that would be a bit backwards, wouldn't it? Considering you're the bookworm script mage and I'm the punk Dragon Slayer?"

Levy could only gape at the punk Dragon Slayer as he reached over and grabbed something off of the floor. "Speaking of books," he added, changing the subject, "you remember this one?"

One look at the book Gajeel was holding out to her was enough to make her smile. "Of course I do!" she exclaimed, taking the book in one hand. "It's the one you gave me. I had it in my bag when we were attacked. I've already read it through a few times, and I keep finding new stuff!"

Gajeel grinned at her excitement. "Well, why don't you read it again? Out loud, so I can hear it?"

Levy raised an eyebrow at the Dragon Slayer. "You actually want _me..._ to _read..._ to _you?"_

"I just thought it'd make you happy," Gajeel replied with a shrug. "If you're up to it, I mean. If you want to sleep some more-"

"No, I'm good," Levy decided with another smile. "But don't think I'm going to forget what we were talking about earlier!"

"I'm counting on that," Gajeel replied, surprising the script mage. "We'll talk about it later, when you're feeling a bit better."

Levy gave Gajeel a mock glare before pushing herself up off her elbows, wincing as the movement pulled at her wounds. To her surprise, Gajeel reached over and grabbed her pillow, fluffing it and setting it on its side for Levy to lean back on. It was most unusual for Gajeel to be this… considerate of others. Levy stared at him for a long moment, her jaw falling into her lap, but Gajeel merely winked at her.

"Don't think that means anything," he said teasingly, turning Levy's words back on her. He then nodded at the book, and Levy, with a confused smile, leaned back against the pillow and opened the book in her lap. Gajeel scooted his chair closer, leaning his elbows on the edge of her bed resting his chin in his hands as Levy began reading. His eyes drifted back to her face, just as it had that day in the library, but this time, he let his gaze linger a little longer as his smile widened.

* * *

**A/N:** So here's the thing that you readers need to learn about me: it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to kill a cannon character. I see people do it on occasion, but I just simply can't mess with something like that. A) I like to keep true to the actual series with my fanfics, so if a character were to die that would screw a lot of things up, and B) I would just simply die of heartbreak knowing that I killed these awesome people. So whenever I write something and it seems as though someone canon is dead... well, they're not XP

And yes, I had to give Laxus a hero moment in here... I just finished the Tenrou arc, and he just went from being one of my least favorite characters to one of my favorite characters :D he's just awesome that way.

And finally, THIS IS NOT THE END! I have one last part, an epilogue, that I'm planning on posting. So keep your eyes out for that! Thank you all for the kind reviews thus far and I hope you keep reading and reviewing! Love you guys!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Holy freaking crap. What the heck am I still doing awake?! I am sooo going to regret this in a couple hours. Oh well. This just might have been worth it. :P  
Happy early Valentine's Day! I'm hoping to maybe get some other Fairy Tail shipping stories (actual one-shots this time (theoretically)) on V-Day, but it might not happen with my stupid college schedule, so if not then here's an early gift to you all :) And yeah, this isn't an epilogue anymore, it's a final chapter. I kinda unloaded the cheese on this one, but I hope it's to your satisfaction! I freaking LOVE this pairing!  
Anyway, I think I'd better get a couple hours of sleep before I have to wake up before my morning classes XP ugh, stupid Elodie, stupid stupid stupid... enjoy!

* * *

"It's so good to be home!" Levy sang as she through open the door to her Fairy Hills dorm. She spread her arms wide and spun around in the middle of her library of a room, breathing in the familiar smell of leather binding and crisp pages full of knowledge and adventure. Just an hour ago, Levy had finally been released from the infirmary after spending two long weeks in recovery, and she had never been happier to be back among her books.

Lucy came in behind Levy, carrying the script mage's bag over her shoulder, and smiled at her friend. "Erza and I came in every day and made sure everything was taken care of for you," she said. "We dusted the shelves, made sure your books were in the correct order, and made sure everything was kept clean and orderly."

"You guys shouldn't have done that!" Levy cried, turning to the celestial spirit mage in surprise. "I could have cleaned up when I got back!"

"No way, we were glad to help," Lucy replied with an even brighter smile as she set the bag down by Levy's desk. "We wanted to make sure you could come back to a clean room. Besides, cleaning it reminded us that there would be someone returning to it."

Levy sighed in exasperation. "Well, thank you for doing that, but can you _please_ drop the me-almost-dying thing? I'm perfectly fine now, so there's no need to dwell on it."

Lucy turned and frowned at her friend as the script mage sat down on the edge of her bed. "Levy, you were dead for a whole five minutes that first night. I don't think you quite understand how scary it was for us to think you weren't going to make it." Lucy suddenly smirked teasingly and added, "Especially for Gajeel. He seemed particularly worried about you."

Levy abruptly turned away so Lucy wouldn't see her blushing crimson. Gajeel had visited Levy almost every day she was in the infirmary, which was just as often as Lucy and Shadow Gear had. Levy had noticed a definite change in Gajeel's attitude around her, starting with how caring he had been when she had woken up. Though the two of them still had their occasional, ridiculous arguments, the Iron Dragon Slayer was now a bit more gentle and considerate, often bringing her books from the library and food from the guild hall without Levy even asking for anything. He seemed to enjoy having her read to him a lot more than he usually did, and no matter how much Levy teased him about it, she really liked reading to him as well. She'd tried asking him about the sudden change a couple of time, but Gajeel and shut down every attempt, so she was still puzzling over it. And it was driving her crazy!

"I don't know what you're talking about," Levy declared stubbornly, trying to hold back a grin.

"Oh, what-_ever_, Levy!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping onto the bed and knocking Levy's shoulder with her elbow. "You can't tell me you haven't noticed how he's been treating you!"

"He's been treating me no differently than before! He still drives me just as crazy as ever!"

"Come on, Levy, you know you enjoy it! I think he likes you!"

"He does not!"

"You don't see him treating anyone else in the guild the way he treats you! And I saw the way he reacted when you were attacked; he totally flipped! Did you know he was the one who beat up the mages that attacked you?"

Levy's mouth fell open. "H-he did?"

"He sure did!" Lucy affirmed with a nod. "And after that, he refused to leave your side until you woke up! You didn't see him the way I did, Levy. He_ liiiiikes _you!"

Levy turned away again, biting back another smile as another blush painted her cheeks. "You're starting to sound like Happy," she said with a laugh.

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed, suddenly angry as she jumped to her feet. _"Don't compare me to that stupid cat!"_

Levy laughed and swung her legs up onto the bed, holding her arms out as she allowed her upper body to fall back onto her pillows. Her head had barely hit the pillow when she jerked back up again with a cry of pain.

"Are you alright, Levy?" Lucy cried, worry and alarm replacing her anger instantaneously. "What happened?"

"I hit my head on something!" Levy complained, rubbing the back of her head and wincing painfully.

"Uh, you mean your pillow?"

"No, not my pillow! It was something hard and sharp…"

Levy reached back and picked up her pillow to see what it was that had jabbed the back of her head. Both girls gasped as they saw a rose made entirely out of metal lying on the blankets where the pillow had been. Levy hesitantly picked it up by the stem, admiring the iron flower with a sense of confusion and awe. The thing was slightly larger and much heavier than an actual rose, but the intricate detail on the petals and leaves gave it the same delicate beauty of a real flower. There were even a couple of leaves on the stem, though the thorns had thankfully been left off, and to one leaf was a folded piece of paper tied with a piece of white string.

"What in the world…" Levy whispered as she let her fingers lightly brush the intricate flower.

"A rose made of _iron?!_" Lucy squeaked. "Levy, there's only one person this could be from!"

Levy wanted to make a witty response, but she felt as though her vocal chords were tied in a knot and her brain was turned to mush. Her heart pounded violently and her hand shook as she took the note and spread it open to read the message. It was short and simple, written with an iron ball pen in a sharp, upward-slanted scrawl. Levy had to read over it several times before she could untangle her larynx enough to read it out loud.

"_Meet me beneath the tree in South Gate Park if you want a real one."_

Lucy squealed and jumped up and down in excitement. "Oh, my gosh, Levy! You _have_ to go!"

Levy didn't know what to say. Gajeel's new behavior, the metal flower, the note… it all seemed so surreal, like something in one of her romance novels. She had all but lost hope that something like this would ever happen to her, but to have it come from him was inconceivable! Could it be a mistake? Was this really happening? Was she actually still unconscious in the hospital, and the last two weeks were nothing but a dream?

"I can't believe he's finally doing it!" Lucy was rambling. "After two weeks I thought he was chickening out, but he's finally going to come out and say it!"

Levy suddenly snapped out of her shocked daze and focused her eyes on Lucy. "Say what?" she asked.

Lucy beamed at the clueless script mage. "What he's been dying to say since you almost died, Levy," she replied. "And trust me, I know you're going to like it! You have to go meet him now! I'll unpack your things for you, I'll take care of everything here! Levy, you have to promise me you'll go!"

"I-" Levy tried to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Lucy's delighted squeal.

"Fantastic!" she practically screamed. The next thing Levy knew, Lucy was pulling her up to her feet and shoving her out the door, babbling about wanting all the details when she returned and how excited she was that this was finally happening. Levy was almost relieved when Lucy slammed the door and shut her out of her own bedroom, leaving her in the quiet hallway still holding the metal rose.

* * *

Levy hadn't gone to see Gajeel yet.

The sun was low in the western sky, casting brilliant shades of red and orange and pink across the slowly emptying town of Magnolia. Levy had walked all over the town, clutching the metal flower and trying to sort out her confused, panicked thoughts. Why couldn't she just go to the South Gate Park and find out what it was Gajeel wanted to tell her? Why was she so frightened?

The sun was setting, and she hadn't gone to him. It was possible that he had already left the park, thinking she wasn't going to show. But _was_ Levy going to show? She hadn't even completely decided that herself. Every time she took a step toward the park, a new barrage of doubts would force her back in circles. But what was she afraid of? Not Gajeel, certainly. He may have had a rough past, but he had changed since coming to Fairy Tail. He was Levy's friend. She knew she had nothing to fear from him. Was she afraid of what he was going to say, then? Afraid of what the rose and the message could mean? Or was she reading too much into the situation like she read her books? Maybe that was the problem. In a book, this story could only have a happy ending. Real life was not as predictable as stories. In real life, she was a character, not a reader, and she had no idea who was writing this story or what the author intended for her.

The setting was perfect. The rose, the park in the city, the glowing sunset… it was everything an author could dream up for the perfect closing of a love story. But was this even a love story? Was this even the end? Or was it just the beginning of something new and potentially terrifying? How badly did Levy want to know?

She stopped at the head of a small road that branched off the one she was walking on. She knew that path would lead to the park. She had to make the final decision now. Should she take it? Or should she continue on and forget this whole thing ever happened?

Levy looked down at the rose in her hand, watching the sunlight reflect off the smooth, perfectly molded metal petals. She imagined Gajeel crafting this flower with his own hands, using his Dragon Slayer magic to create something beautiful, rather than destructive. She remembered all the times she had read to him, all the times they had fought together, side-by-side, determined to protect one another no matter what odds were stacked against them. She remembered how she felt upon hearing his voice when she woke up in the infirmary two weeks ago…

Levy screwed her doubtful expression into one of determination. She couldn't abandon Gajeel now. Not after all the times he had stood by her. She couldn't just ignore him over something like this. She had wasted enough time already. Lucy was right. She had to go to him. _Now._

Before she could change her mind, Levy took off running down the smaller road. She was at the South Gate Park within minutes, and she slowed her pace as she walked through the entrance. She had always loved how the park looked at sunset. The green grass swayed gently in the breeze as sunlight shone through it, giving the earth one last bit of warmth before turning in for the night. The park was mostly empty now, but there were a few couples and parents with kids still milling about, licking ice cream cones or sitting on a bench, or simply walking hand-in-hand and enjoying the warm summer evening.

And then there was Gajeel.

Levy spotted him almost immediately. He was sitting in the grass at the base of the tall oak tree in the center of the park, twirling a bright red rose – a real one - between his fingers, his crimson eyes watching the petals without really seeing them. How long had he been waiting there for her? He hadn't spotted her yet. Levy was approaching from the side of the tree, and her pace slowed with every step she took until she eventually came to a complete stop. Gajeel looked up toward the sunset, and Levy watched as some stray rays of light glinted off the metal piercings in his face and shone off his long, spiky black hair. He sighed and bowed his head. Levy felt her heart wrench at how lonely and vulnerable he looked. He slowly got to his feet, looking back up at the sunset. He was going to leave!

_Wait!_ Levy's mind screamed as she held out a hand toward him. _Don't go yet! I just got here!_

Then, to Levy's surprise, he opened his mouth and started to sing, so quietly only she could hear it: _"If you fly away tonight, I wanna tell you… I wanna tell you…"_

Levy felt the air hitch in her throat as she took a sharp breath. She recognized that tune. It was from her dream when she was unconscious! She had heard Gajeel's voice singing that very tune! _If you fly away tonight, I wanna tell you…_

"Tell me what?" she burst out before she could stop herself.

Gajeel gave a start and whirled around, scrambling to his feet. "L-Levy!" he stammered in shock. "You came!"

Levy gave an apologetic smile and held up the rose. "I got your message," she said sheepishly. "Sorry it took me so long."

Gajeel blinked several times, as if he was still trying to register that Levy really was standing in front of him, and then his face relaxed into a soft, surprisingly tender smile. "It's good to see you up and about. You look like your old self again."

Levy blushed and looked down at the metal flower. "I would say the same to you, but… the Gajeel I two weeks ago would _never _thinkabout making a flower out of iron."

Gajeel's grin broadened and he approached Levy, only stopping when he was about a foot away from her. He held up the rose. "And here's the real one, just as promised."

Levy smiled and took the rose, pressing the petals against her nose and inhaling deeply. She liked the smell, but she honestly thought she preferred the homemade flower better. "I know I've asked you this a thousand times," Levy said, looking up from the rose and meeting Gajeel's bright red eyes, "and I'm not necessarily complaining either, but I'm dying to know: what happened to you that made you change like this?"

Gajeel turned his eyes away, suddenly shy, though a small, secretive smile still turned up the corners of his mouth. "Well, ya know… almost losing someone close to you can change a person."

Levy's eyes widened as she felt another sudden pang in her heart. Gajeel continued, "Going through something like that… feeling that kind of pain… it makes a person think a little differently. Makes them see things in a different light."

He paused for a moment, then turned and looked up at the large tree looming next to them. Levy did the same and smiled. "This is my favorite spot in all of Magnolia," she informed the Iron Dragon Slayer. "I used to come here to study and watch the sunset. When I was a kid, I would climb up and sit in the highest branch I could reach and just gaze out over Magnolia like I was queen of the world." Levy closed her eyes and gave a soft laugh at her own memories. "It's been a while since I've been back."

Gajeel turned and frowned at the little script mage. "Why is that?"

Levy shrugged and put her hands, still holding the two flowers, behind her back. "It's just a precious spot to me. If I visit it too often, it might turn into something more regular and routine, and not as special." Levy looked up at Gajeel and gave him a grateful smile. "This is the same place you stopped Laxus from hitting me with lightning, remember?"

Instead of looking happy, Gajeel's face scrunched up in pain and he turned his back to Levy, clenching his fists at his sides. "That's what you remember about this place?" he asked in a harsh tone. "Not that this is also the same place I _crucified_ you and your teammates?"

Levy gasped as a hand flew to her mouth. _That_ was what he remembered about this place? Did this park really inhibit nothing but a clearly painful memory for him? But that was backwards! That wasn't right! That wasn't _fair!_

"Gajeel…" she muttered, her voice shaking with emotion, "you… you know I've forgiven you of that, right? That was a long time ago, and you were a different person under the influence of Jose and Phantom Lord. You shouldn't be thinking about that now."

"But I can't think of anything else," Gajeel growled. "Attacking you and Jet and Droy, hurting Lucy, fighting Natsu, destroying your old guild hall… those are the memories that constantly bite and claw at me, and no matter what I do, I can't be free of them." Gajeel looked back at Levy, and the script mage swore she had never seen a man so full of sorrow and regret. "You say you've forgiven me," he said, "but I never asked your forgiveness. I never apologized for all the pain I caused you and your friends."

"Because you didn't need to," Levy insisted, stepping forward and grasping one of Gajeel's large fists with her small hand. "Actions speak louder than words, Gajeel. As a bookworm and script mage, I should know this above all else. Especially when it comes to you, since you don't talk much anyway. And since you've joined Fairy Tail, you've done so much to fight for and defend the guild and all its members. Me in particular, I think, even when your own life was at risk. Those actions join together and create the biggest, loudest apology you could have ever given me. So please believe me when I say I've forgiven you, and don't let your past torture you so much. I… I hate seeing you in pain," she added finally, bowing her head and shutting her eyes tightly as her throat tightened with emotion.

A long silence passed between them, during which Gajeel stared down at Levy in shock and Levy fought to hold back tears as she continued to clutch Gajeel's hand. The sun continued to sink lower and lower beneath the horizon as the sky above them bled from bright pink into inky blue speckled with diamond stars. Finally, Gajeel raised a hand and gently tipped up Levy's chin, and she looked up to see his expression serious, yet thoughtful.

"You're right," he murmured. "Of course, you're always right. Everything I've done for this guild was an effort to make up for what I did under Phantom Lord. But almost losing you…"Gajeel swallowed hard before forcing himself to continue, "made me realize that things left unsaid can haunt you more than the darkest memories ever could. So I just want to say, Levy McGarden, that I am so, incredibly, deeply, torturously sorry for everything I did to hurt you and your friends. And I swear to stand by your side and protect you from ever getting hurt again for as long as you'll allow me… because…"

Gajeel hesitated, a flicker of fear showing in his eyes, which now matched the color of the fading sun. Levy felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes, but she didn't want to blink, afraid she would miss even a split second of what was unfolding before her. Her whole body felt numb, the only feeling coming from her heart bouncing around her rib cage like a crazed squirrel. She wasn't sure if she was even breathing anymore; her throat had closed so tight, she didn't think anything could get to her lungs. Gajeel's fist suddenly opened beneath her hand and slowly, hesitantly, wrapped around her fingers, giving her time to pull away if she so desired. But she left her hand resting in his palm as he gently held it. Finally, Gajeel sucked in a breath and forced himself to meet Levy's eyes.

"Because I care about you, Levy," he said with clarity and confirmation. "A lot. I've never… I've never felt like this about any human being, ever. I'm sorry I never had the courage to say so before, and I hope this doesn't frighten you… it's just, after almost losing the chance to ever tell you… This is something that should never go unsaid, no matter what my actions say. So I wanted to make sure you knew this, just in case… you ever go away again."

Levy finally blinked, and a stream of tears slid down her cheeks. She felt as though her heart had combusted and was now liquefying inside of her chest, racing through her blood and flooding her mind, sending it in dizzying circles. Like a light switched being flipped on, she remembered the words Gajeel had sung to her as she lay dying in the hospital. She hadn't dreamt it after all: she was _remembering_ it.

"_If you fly away tonight,  
__I wanna tell you that I love you.  
__I hope that you can hear me,  
__I hope that you can feel me."_

Gajeel gave a start as Levy sang the words out loud to him. Before he could respond, Levy pulled her hand free of his and jumped up, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Gajeel cried out as her weight pulled him down slightly so he was hunched over her, and she clung even tighter to him as she stood on her tip-toes to reach him.

"I heard you, Gajeel!" she cried in a choked voice. "And I'm never going to fly away, not ever again, because I care about you, too! And I'll always want you by my side, so we can protect each other! So don't you go anywhere either!"

Her tearful, heart-felt speech struck Gajeel to the core, leaving him completely dumb and helpless. This was the last reaction he had expected from her confession. In fact, this was one case scenario his nerve-racked brain hadn't even thought to conceive when he tried to guess how Levy would react to him. He could feel the metal rose he had made, which was still clutched in Levy's hand with the real one, pressing against his shoulder, but he felt no pain. There was no room for pain in his entire being. All he could feel was… what _was_ this feeling?

_Joy_, something in the back of his mind told him. _Pure, unadulterated, all-consuming joy._

Gajeel felt a smile creep onto his face as he slowly wrapped his arms around Levy's small frame and pulled her closer to him, trying to be gentle as one arm wound around her back and his other hand rested against the back of her head. Mavis, was she _tiny_. How could someone so small carry such an infinite amount of love and forgiveness inside of her? How was it possible that she had tamed the wild beast that had for so long ravaged his heart? Did she realize that she practically had him on a leash? He'd defeated hundreds of formidable monsters and challengers without breaking a sweat, and she waltzed in and totally conquered him without even trying. And yet, he couldn't even find a particle of him that cared. If anything, this leash gave him a blissful, exalted feeling of absolute peace and freedom that he had never known. And he would hold on to that leash until it choked him to death if it meant that he could always feel this way around Levy McGarden.

The two stood together, embracing this way, until the last flickering rays of sunlight had faded and night had descended upon the park. The fire flies had come out, adding even more sparkle to the night as trillions of stars flickered in the heavens above. A chorus of crickets started up, singing in harmony with the breeze that rustled the leaves of the oak tree and pulled at Gajeel and Levy's hair. At long last the two pulled apart, though Levy's hands moved down to Gajeel's chest and his rested on her arms. Levy's hazel eyes were still bright with tears as she smiled up at the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"What an odd pair we make," she commented, pulling her hands back and wiping a tear from her cheek as she held her two flowers to her chest.

"What?" Gajeel teased. "You mean a punk Dragon Slayer and a nerdy script mage? What's odd about that?"

The pair laughed long and hard at that, both realizing the great big wad of irony that made up their relationship and rejoicing in it. When they finally stopped laughing again, Gajeel stepped up next to Levy and offered his arm.

"Well, it's getting quite late," he said, mocking a proper tone. "Shall I escort the little lady back to the guild?"

"Well, what a gentleman!" Levy exclaimed playfully, taking his arm and smiling brightly. "I daresay you may do so, good sir. You never know what sort of ruffians may be scurrying about at this time."

Gajeel flashed another wicked grin and gave his signature "Gee-hee" laugh. As the pair walked arm-in-arm out of the park and back toward the guild, Levy couldn't help but think this was the perfect beginning of the two of them making their own happy ending.


End file.
